Saturday, May 21, 2016

Left Forum 2016 - What Next for the Movement Behind Bernie?

This is a panel from the 2016 Left Forum, held May 20 -22 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. The conference theme was "Rage, Rebellion, Revolution: Organizing Our Power."

From the Organizers:

The Sanders campaign has drawn tens of thousands into massive, enthusiastic rallies for "a political revolution against the billionaire class". Grassroots organizations like "Labor for Bernie," "People for Bernie" and "#Movement4Bernie" swelled around the country. How do we continue the fight against the billionaire class after the primaries? Do we need a new party for the 99%? Can this be a step towards revitalizing the labor movement? Come discuss these questions and more with leaders of the movement.

Panel Chair:Bryan Koulouris is the National Organizer for Socialist Alternative.

Panelists:

Charles Lechner is with People for Bernie.

Philip Locker is the national spokesperson for Socialist Alternative and a founder of #Movement4Bernie.

Micah Landau is with Labor for Bernie.

Kshama Sawant is Seattle's socialist City Councilmember. She was initially elected in 2013 as an open socialist fighting for a $15 an hour minimum wage. After Kshama initiated the "15 Now" movement, Seattle became the first city in the country to win 15, and that victory rapidly spread to other cities across the country. Kshama was re-elected in 2015 with widespread labor support while she campaigned for housing justice. She spoke alongside Bernie Sanders at rallies addressing thousands in Seattle.